XX Choices XX A Rock Lee Story XX
by FredGeorgeWazlib
Summary: He liked her. He really did. He even thought he might love her. She wasn't always nice to him...in fact, she rarely was, but there was just something about her: Seiko, Neji Hyuuga's sister. Rock Lee X OC.
1. Sasuke Uchiha

**Author's Note****:**

**Hello! This is a Rock Lee story that I came up with some time back. I hope you like it! You may have seen it on quizilla because I have an account on there as well. Well...had. I don't really go there anymore. **

**Sorry about the terrible spacing, folks. I finally got around to coming back in and fixing it! Should be easier to read now!**

**I have decided to turn this fanfic into a full-blown story, so let me know what you think!**

* * *

"Hmph. So Seiko beat you already, Lee? That's the fourth time this week, isn't it?"

Neji's condescending tone reached them from the sidelines of the sparring field, causing the two teammates to look up. They could practically hear the smirk in his tone. In fact, it caused one of the two of them to smirk as well – Neji's sister, Seiko.

Lee glanced over at her, smiling to himself. Seiko had inherited a lot from her older brother, Neji. When she was pleased with something or when she was teasing Lee, she had the exact same smirk as he did. Nearly a mirror image of him, anyone could tell the two were related. Seiko also had her brother's dark brown hair which stopped around the middle of her back. A few strands hung in her face, and she was forever vainly trying to get them to stay behind her ear.

Lee noticed that she always tucked it behind her ear when she was thinking hard about something. After all, she analyzed things the same way Neji did, looking at a problem from every angle.

But one thing that made her different from Neji, or at least in Lee's opinion, was her Byakugan. He could have sworn that they were a whiter than his, like the color of new-fallen snow.

He couldn't be sure, but he liked to believe so. It made her eyes all the more entrancing to him.

Lee pushed himself up off the grass, helping Seiko to her feet as well. He smiled slightly at Neji as Seiko smirked proudly, blowing a wayward hair out of her face. He loved it when she did that.

"Oh! Yes. Yes, it is,"Lee acknowledged, rubbing the back of his head. He didn't seem perturbed by this in the slightest, though usually it would drive him to train until he dropped. It didn't bother him so much when she beat him. He didn't let her win or anything, but he liked to see the confidence on her face.

"Actually, we fought twice today, so technically, it's the fifth time this week," Seiko pointed out, her hands on her hips. Lee laughed, stretching his arms to rid them of exhaustion.

"Ah! Yes. I suppose it is. But I _will_ beat you one of these days, Seiko!" he insisted with a grin, striking his usual pose.

Seiko smacked him over the back of the head, shooting him a disdainful look. This was her usual reaction to him.

"You're such a dork, Lee."

He prodded the sore spot on his head where Seiko had hit him.

"Ow. You're getting stronger and stronger, Seiko," he laughed in a cheerful voice, contradicting the face he made when he winced.

"Practice makes perfect," Seiko quoted, smiling sweetly. Lee was careful to hide his face from Neji, blushing a bright shade of pink.

"Oh. Here comes Tenten," Seiko stated. Her Byakugan was still on from her fight with Lee. Lee was still getting used to the fact that she and Neji could see just about anything.

"Hey, guys!" Tenten called, appearing from between two trees, breathing hard from practicting, "Gai-sensei says that we're done for today."

"Hello, Tenten! How did your training go today?" Lee asked excitedly. He was always excited when it came to bettering yourself. With Seiko, though, he didn't worry too much about her improving. _She is already perfect, after all._

"She didn't miss the mark once," Seiko spoke up, deactivating her Byakugan,"I watched her while I was fighting Lee. His guard was particularly weak today."

Neji chuckled softly, which would normally infuriate Lee, but he just grinned at Seiko who looked at him suspiciously.

"You're acting weird today, Lee," she mumbled suspiciously, wondering why he was looking at her like that, "And by weird, I mean weirder than usual."

"Oh? Am I?" he asked, distractedly, still looking at her.

Neji rolled his eyes and turned around, starting to walk away from them.

"Well, if practice is over..." he muttered, not bothering to finish his sentence, "Are you walking home with me, Seiko?"

Neji looked back questioningly. The question was casual enough, but everyone in Konoha knew how protective he was of his little sister. He always made sure she was okay – like a fussy mother hen. Of course, anyone who said so would always regret it if he heard it, but he _was_ very overprotective.

"No," Seiko answered, smiling at her brother. It wasn't a smirk anymore. Outside of practice, her smile gradually softened. "I'll just hang out around here for a while. It's nice outside," she explained, giving her big brother a reassuring look.

Neji nodded reluctantly and left, and Tenten ran to catch up with him, chattering away happily as they walked. Her house was in the same direction, and she usually followed them home.

Seiko walked over to one of the trees, sitting down in the shade it made. She nestled down between the roots, making herself comfortable before pulling out her book. One thing Seiko loved to do was read.

Lee glanced at Seiko sitting under the tree, a peaceful smile on her face, before turning back to his training. Practice was never over at the same time for him. He always stayed much later than the rest of his team. Sometimes, though, Seiko would stay behind. She just sat there alot of times, but he couldn't be sure if she was watching him train or just enjoying being outside…

The only thing Lee knew for certain was that Seiko hated to spend more time than was necessary at the Hyuga estate. She struggled with the main branch of the family almost as much as Neji did.

Mind drifting, Lee began kicking the training stump repeatedly, his usual warm-up. The noise didn't bother Seiko. She had grown used to reading along with the background noise.

It had almost become like a custom for the two of them – Seiko and Lee – putting off the end of the day just a little bit longer together.

Seiko turned a page subconsciously, her eyes staring blankly at the paper. She drifted off into thought a lot of times while reading, often reading the same pages over again. In fact, at that moment, Seiko was scanning the words before her absently, not really taking in what they said.

And that's when she heard _his_ voice.

Seiko swiveled her head in his direction, her eyes burning as she glared at the intruder mistrustfully.

_Uchiha Sasuke_.

"So...you aren't hiding behind your brother today?"

Sasuke leaned against the tree Seiko was sitting under, his arms crossed in front of him. He glanced around the field coolly, avoiding her eyes.

Turning back to her book, Seiko stared determinedly at the page before her. Her cheeks flushed out of anger.

He hadn't talked to her in months. _What makes him think I want to have any kind of conversation with him now?_

"I don't hide behind Neji,"she replied coldly, not once looking up from her book, "It's not my fault that you're afraid to talk to me while he's around."

"I'm not afraid of your brother," Sasuke muttered under his breath, glancing sideways at her, "And I'm definitely not afraid of you."

He moved in front of her, staring her down, and Seiko glanced past him at Lee, kicking away at his practice stump – the same one he used every day. She surprised herself by wishing he was there with her now.

Seiko got to her feet slowly, dropping her book, and returned Sasuke's black gaze fearlessly.

Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, Lee stopped training and wondered – disappointedly – if Seiko was going home already. He momentarily abandoned his training and turned around, focusing his line of sight on Seiko. His face immediately dropped with concern at the sight of Sasuke.

Lee knew that Seiko and Sasuke had once been friends. He wasn't sure how strong their bond had been, but he knew that it had been strong enough to hurt both of them when it was broken.

They had made friends in the Academy, but somewhere along the line, things had gotten a little rough between them. From what Lee had heard, the problem had been Sasuke's revenge.

Seiko disagreed strongly with Sasuke's take on his clan's death, and argued with him that he was wasting his life away. It meant something to her especially, because, being a member of the side branch of the Hyuga family, she had no choice as to what she would do with hers. It made her furious.

Either way, their friendship had ended in a painful way, and neither of them had spoken to one another since…

Until now.

Sasuke and Seiko were both tense, looking as if they were ready to spring at each other at a moment's notice. Seiko glared hostilely while Sasuke kept his face blank – a clean slate.

"You're not _afraid_?" Seiko laughed derisively, clenching her fists, "Then you'd think you would have shown your sorry face around here before now!"

Seiko was furious, remembering the things he had said to her, the things she had said to him, the way they had fallen apart. Most of all, she was furious about how glad she was to see him.

He had hurt her badly, but…he had meant a lot to her, and, if she was honest with herself, he probably still did.

His words had stung, but nothing stung more than his attitude, always so cool and indifferent, even now as he stood in front of her.

"You know, you always act like you're so tough, but you're not!" Seiko snapped, infuriated by his silence, "When you can't even show your face to your friend…you make me sick!"

Exasperated, Sasuke stepped forward violently, shoving Seiko's back into the tree with a resounding thud.

He knew she wouldn't listen to him if things kept going like this. He had to grab her attention – he was desperate for it.

Lee jumped when he saw Sasuke shove Seiko against the tree. Face full of outrage and alarm, he started to run towards the two of them.

Seiko's face registered shock for a moment, her pale, white eyes open wide, but soon her face softened, almost relieved he had acted out – done _something._

But before the fiasco could develop any further…Seiko disappeared.

_It was a clone_.

Lee stopped in his tracks, nearly falling over himself as he skidded to a halt abruptly.

He should have known that Seiko wouldn't let her guard down so easily.

_At least Sasuke didn't hurt her_, he thought. The very idea of it infuriated him.

Now the Uchiha stared incredulously at the spot where Seiko had been standing only moments before. He pushed himself back, retreating a few steps so he could look around for her.

"A little violent today, are we?"

Sasuke's eyes shot up through the branches of the tree, only to see Seiko sitting on one of the branches, her book in her hand. She was frowning at him, a glint of hardness in her eyes.

They looked like ice when she was angry.

Slipping her book into her pocket, Seiko dropped out of the tree and sized Sasuke up with an appraising look. The two merely looked at each other for a few minutes, scrutinizing one another, as Lee watched with a frown on his face. His body was tense under his green jumpsuit, ready to intervene should something happen.

His mind travelled back to the Chuunin Exams, when the Uchiha had so easily dismissed him, treating him like a joke – like a loser. Seiko had still been friends with him, then. She had laughed at him, and, if he were honest with himself, she had probably been thinking the same.

But this was a different time and a different place. Seiko was different…

_He _was different; and he would not let Sasuke Uchiha lay a hand on her.

* * *

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the Naruto characters, including Sasuke Uchiha, Neji Hyuuga, Rock Lee, and TenTen.**


	2. Byakugan vs Sharingan

**Author's Note:**

**Second chapter – I should have the third and fourth ones up by the weekend. Then I'll be able to continue on with the story. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

_Slipping her book into her pocket, Seiko dropped out of the tree and sized Sasuke up with an appraising look. The two merely looked at each other for a few minutes, scrutinizing one another, as Lee watched with a frown on his face. His body was tense under his green jumpsuit, ready to intervene should something happen. _

_His mind travelled back to the Chuunin Exams, when the Uchiha had so easily dismissed him, treating him like a joke – like a loser. Seiko had still been friends with him, then. She had laughed at him, and, if he were honest with himself, she had probably been thinking the same derisive thoughts as Sasuke._

_But this was a different time and a different place. Seiko was different…_

_He was different; and he would not let Sasuke Uchiha lay a hand on her._

"What do you want, Sasuke?" Seiko asked quietly, her white eyes searching his. Despite the quiet edge to her voice, it sounded hard – angry – and a little unsure. She really had no idea anymore about what Sasuke wanted.

She wasn't even sure if she _wanted_to know.

* * *

Sasuke scowled, kicking the dirt at his sandaled feet.

"Believe it or not…I wanted to talk to you," he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Ah, I see," she shot back, "And this is your idea of striking up a conversation? Shoving me against a tree?"

"Well, you didn't exactly look like you were all ears, Seiko!" he snapped, taking a step towards her.

Seiko didn't even flinch, but Lee did, lurching forward as he watched anxiously on.

He didn't know if he should get in the middle of this or not. He knew that Seiko would be furious with him if he tried to fight her battles for her, and surely the Uchiha wouldn't be too pleased, but still…

It was times like these when Lee could see the glaring similarity the two shared: their unrelenting pride – their stupid, stupid pride.

"Oh, well, aren't you observant?" Seiko replied coolly, her eyes cold and mocking, "Have you finally learned how to use those eyes of yours?"

Sasuke smirked, crossing his arms in front of him.

"That's right," he stated, unflinching, then darkly "Your Byakugan is no match for me."

"Tch. You wish," she mumbled, frowning, but Lee could see the unease creep into her eyes. He could see her muscles tense and her hands clench as she graced the Uchiha with another appraising glance. "The Uchiha clan is just a branched of the Hyuga clan," Seiko continued, a confidence in her voice she didn't entirely feel, "You only have sharingan because you're ancestors descended from us – and it's hardly an improvement."

Sasuke scoffed, his jaw clenching and his eyes beginning to turn that dangerous, bloody red hue.

He wanted to show her that he was stronger than her. He didn't care much what other people thought about him, save a few people.

Seiko just happened to be one of them, and things were not going how he had wanted them to.

Besides, Sasuke being Sasuke, he could never back down from a challenge to the Uchiha clan – not ever.

"The Uchiha's took your technique and perfected it," the boy sneered, face turned up in an ugly leer, "You could _never_ measure up to me. You're just a kid – a little girl."

Seiko's fingers dug into her palms, drawing sharp little indents of blood. She hated when Sasuke looked down on her – when anyone looked down on her. She was tired of being inferior to everyone, especially this arrogant Uchiha boy and the main Hyuga family.

"Oh really, Sasuke? Your clan mastered our technique?" she asked with mock politeness, her voice low – dangerous, "If that's the case…you would think that your people would have outlived ours."

Seiko knew she had crossed a line. She knew how much it would anger Sasuke – how much it would mean to him. But she still remembered quite clearly all the things he had said to her, and she at this point in time, she wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.

The Hyuga girl had a fiery tongue, combined with a nasty temper. She rarely meant the stinging things she said, but she didn't regret saying them – not one bit.

Sasuke's mouth opened in shock, his eyes flashing with rage. Seiko thought he was going to attack, so she took a step back, dropping into a fighting position, but he didn't even move.

Surprisingly, this almost scared Seiko more than if he had threatened her point-blank with a shuriken.

"At least I _mean something_ clan," Sasuke said through gritted teeth, anger laced through every word.

"Oh, you mean how you intend to kill your brother? Yes, I can see how killing the only other ninja with the sharingan bloodline will help restore what they've lost. You'll be quite the hero in your _one-man clan_."

Sasuke grabbed Seiko by the front of her collar, pulling her effortlessly off the ground. Seiko gasped, feeling the air leave her. She struggled against his grasp, clawing at it with her hand as she choked on her own breath. In one fluid motion, she pulled out a kunai with the other hand, pressing it to Sasuke's neck so deeply a fine, red line appeared on his pale skin.

It was a draw. Neither one could make a move, but Seiko's time was slowly running out.

"What about you, Seiko?" Sasuke whispered, a triumphant and utterly cold, furious look on his face, "What do _you_ mean to _your _clan?"

Seiko panted, her eyes suddenly wide and scared and her face an uncomfortable red.

"You're only alive to die for them!" Sasuke continued, shouting, "None of them care what happens to you! You're a member of the _branch family_. You can't even decide what to do with your life!"

Seiko grew limp in his stronghold, forgetting even how to struggle. Her gorgeous white eyes froze over, as if she were looking right through him – right through the horror that was her existence.

"You…" Sasuke whispered into her ear, "are a _waste of space._"

Seiko's hand shook, and the kunai dropped from her hand, clattering to the ground. She began to tremble ever so slightly as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes.

Shoving Sasuke, she stumbled backwards into the tree, taking in shaky breaths.

"I hate you," she whispered as she leant against tree, her voice hoarse, "I _hate _you."

The Uchiha watched her, and refused to let anything show on his face. When the look in her eyes became too much for him, he turned and gazed out over the training field, feigning indifference.

Always indifferent.

In the meantime Seiko's breathing became shallow and panicked as if she were hyperventilating. Her back slid and she stumbled back over the roots a bit. Bringing her hands up to her horrified face and clamping them over her ringing ears, she began to back away.

Suddenly, she whirled – like a cornered rabbit trying to escape. All desperation and blinding fright, Seiko ran straight into someone in her terrified panic:

_Lee._

Reeling from the impact, Seiko nearly fell to the ground before Lee caught her. Standing her on her feet, his arms wrapped protectively around her.

Seiko didn't – couldn't – even think about it. All that was on her mind was finding someplace to hide from her life...someplace to escape her fate.

Trembling violently, Seiko's eyes flickered to Lee's, embarrassed and vulnerable. Lee hated how frightened she looked.

He hadn't heard what Sasuke had said to her…

But he was _furious_.

Lee pulled the shaking girl closer to him, keeping one arm around her like a shield. The girl buried her dark head into him, her hands clutching at his back.

"Breathe, Seiko," he whispered gently, rubbing her back with his bandaged hands, "Just breathe."

When the girl didn't – couldn't – respond, Lee glared over the top of her head at Sasuke, fury in his eyes.

Sasuke was careful to keep his face blank, recovering despite his anger with this dorky Genin, Seiko, and himself for feeling so helplessly useless the moment she turned into Rock Lee's arms.

"Are you her new bodyguard?" he asked bitterly, "Or are you just filling in for that brother of hers?"

Lee's blood boiled, hopeless anger in his eyes, but he didn't want to fight Sasuke Uchiha, not today – not while Seiko was so upset.

Sasuke smirked when the boy's silence greeted him and he laughed darkly, tossing his hair behind him impatiently.

"Pathetic," he spat.

The next thing Lee knew, Sasuke had flown backwards into a nearby tree with a loud, painful crack, and Seiko stood in the clearing, hand clenched as if she had just punched the Uchiha into next week.

Lee blinked in surprise, mouth hanging open as he stared at the kunoichi like she had grown an extra pair of arms or a second head.

_What had sent her over the edge?_

Jumping up, Sasuke wiped away the blood away trickling down his lip furiously. Glaring at the girl with a murderous rage, Sasuke rushed towards her, kunai drawn, but Seiko just stood there.

She had just wanted to hit him – just that once. Now, she was satisfied. For some reason, hearing him make remarks about Lee had set her off.

Her eyes locked sadly with the Uchiha's cold, black eyes – eyes that had once been a little warmer – and decided it wouldn't be so bad, really, taking a beating at the hands of a friend – a friend who had once loved her. Better than having her brains melted by a family that would hardly even notice if she didn't exist.

It wouldn't hurt, coming from her old friend. If anything, it just proved his point more…

No one wanted to protect her – not even him.

Rearing the kunai clenched in his hands, Sasuke prepared to send Seiko flying. He wasn't going to hesitate, Seiko could see that. He was too angry. He wasn't thinking straight.

Shutting her eyes, she prepared herself for the blow...but it never came.

With a grunt of exertion, Lee skidded in front of Seiko, catching Sasuke's kunai in a clenched fist. Slicing the tender skin of his palm, Lee shoved the boy backwards, before spreading his arms wide to shield Seiko from the murderous Uchiha.

But the look on his face wasn't half as frightening as the one on Lee's.

Seiko glanced over Lee's shoulder at his face. She had never seen him so angry, had never seen his face so rigid and stony.

_Lee...angry?_

"How _dare_ you!" Lee shouted furiously. Blood dripped from the red-stained bandages of his left hand onto the ground, splattering it with little spots of red.

Seiko jumped, not accustomed to hearing Lee raising his voice so viciously.

"Don't you dare touch her! Mark me, Uchiha…if you ever harm her in any way, I will personally make sure that you _never _do it again!"

All three shinobi stood there for what seemed like hours, just staring at each other. Both Sasuke and Lee were furious, but Seiko's eyes flitted from one to the other, heart hammering in her chest.

Things were happening so suddenly, Seiko could hardly take it all in. Sasuke was to be expected, but _Lee – Rock Lee:_

The boy she had made a mockery of since her very first day on the team – the boy she had constantly scorned aloud and in her own head, twice as viciously – the boy who, in the past, she wouldn't have hesitated, even for a moment, to tear to pieces, crushing his every hope and dream…

_Was trying to protect her?_

Seiko took off suddenly, striding quickly towards the trees before breaking into a sprint, leaving the boys behind in a cloud of settling dust.

She couldn't take much more of this.

Vaguely aware of Lee shouting her name, Seiko shoved her way through the branches of the trees, disappearing into the confines of the woods.

* * *

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own any of the Naruto characters, including Sasuke Uchiha, Neji Hyuuga, and Rock Lee. Thanks for reading!  
**


	3. Until You're Okay

**Author's Note: **

**So, sorry, guys, for a very short chapter, but I couldn't figure out a better way to break up the original one shot. Hang tight for the next installment!**

* * *

Seiko could feel tears welling up just below the surface, her nose stinging and her vision blurring as she walked shoved her way through the trees.

She refused to cry. Once the crying started it was impossible to stop. She'd cry herself away if she let the tears go.

Instead, she focused on the sting of her arms as overhanging branches scraped across her skin, forcing herself to think of nothing.

_Numb._

Her mind just shut down, putting her on auto-pilot, and she probably would have kept walking all night had it not been for Lee.

Seiko stopped abruptly when she felt the hand grab on her arm. She clenched her teeth furiously, trying to hold back the moisture in her eyes.

She knew she wouldn't be able to hold it back if he didn't go away, but of course, Lee wasn't the type to leave a friend behind.

Whirling fiercely, she pulled her arm from him. She couldn't let him see her cry – to let him see the effect that Sasuke still had on her.

But the thing about Lee was, he was hard to get rid of unless she hurt him – yelled at him, called him names, screamed at him.

"_Go away_, Lee!" Seiko shouted, and she could tell by the look on his face that he had taken the waver in her voice for anger, "Just…just get out of my sight!"

Lee froze where he was, an anxious look on his face. There was hurt there, too, but he tried not to show it. He had to worry about Seiko right now. She needed him, even if she denied it.

Two could play at hiding their emotions.

Before she could stop herself, Seiko's eyes flickered to Lee's face, and they began to well up with tears. Spilling over, they dripped down her cheek in fine, pale lines.

Quickly hiding her eyes behind her hands, Seiko scrubbed them away furiously, only to have more escape her frosty, white eyes.

"Go away," she tried once more, half-heartedly.

Lee paused, but then his face hardened, all determination and resolve. Before she could react, Lee closed the distance between he and Seiko, pulling her into the tightest hug – one of the only hugs – she had ever had.

"No," Lee exclaimed fiercely, "No, I will not go away!"

Seiko was surprised to say the least. Lee was never so aggressive towards her. If she told him to go away, he would always go away. He never dared to go against anything she said before.

She wasn't sure how to react now.

But then she felt his hand in her hair, stroking it softly.

"I will leave when I'm sure you are okay, Seiko," the boy continued stubbornly, "And not a moment sooner."

"I _am _okay," Seiko retorted, sniffing.

Lee almost cracked a smile at that one. Typical Seiko.

"Why am I having a hard time believing that?" he asked, his arms relaxing around the girl's thin shoulders.

Seiko stood awkwardly for a moment, not moving an inch.

She was terribly aware of Lee's arms around her, enfolding her. The feeling of his fingers in her hair, the rough bandages catching on the fine strands, hit her strongly.

Pressing her face into his shoulder – (when did Lee get so tall?) – Seiko's muffled comeback was lost in the green fabric of Lee's jumpsuit. The tears were spilling freely now.

He cared about her.

He was worried about her.

_Lee_...

Seiko clung to him suddenly and she began to cry in earnest.

Lee's face softened. "It's okay, Seiko," he whispered, hugging her tightly, "It's okay. I'm here."

A few minutes passed in this way, before Seiko took a step back, naturally being the first to pull away. She pushed her hands away from him, harder than was necessary, then, embarrassed, she stared at the ground, avoiding Lee's eyes. She wiped the remaining tears from her face, scrubbing her already-red cheeks.

She glanced up slowly, feeling extremely self-conscious. She met Lee's eyes, nearly flinching at the concern in them.

"Well, Seiko?" Lee prodded, smiling his stupid grin, "Are you okay?"  
Clenching her teeth, Seiko shrugged her shoulders, cracking one and then the other as if she could shake her sadness like a second skin.

Then:

"If you tell anyone..._anyone_...about this – _especially_ Neji or Sasuke," she threatened, "I will make you wish that you had never been born!"

Lee's mouth dropped, startled. He stared at the girl blankly before a smile slowly spread across his comical face.

"…I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the Naruto characters, especially not Rock Lee, who is his own glorious person.**

**Thanks for reading! Please review. **


	4. Apologies Over Ramen

**Author's Note:**

**Thanks for being patient everyone. I'm currently on a family vacation, so it may take a while for the next few installments. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

"Ah! There you are, Seiko!"

Lee grinned brilliantly at the small girl when he saw her coming, waving enthusiastically and drawing the attention of the other people out and about in Konoha.

Seiko looked determinedly at the spot just above Lee's head, trying to ignore the way the others stared. For some reason or another, Seiko just could not bring herself to look Lee straight in the eye – not since that day.

Every time she did, she turned a horrid shade of red.

"You're such a _dork_," Seiko muttered under her breath, hiding her face behind her hand.

But honestly, she was just trying to keep the smile off of her face.

_Dork._

Seiko frowned once the word had left her mouth, feeling an immediate twinge of guilt.

Lee never took offense to her name-calling, but lately, Seiko felt bad for doing it.

Did it hurt him as much as it hurt her when Sasuke put her down?

Seiko didn't want to hurt Lee like that. It was just out of habit that she mocked him now – almost like a reflex.

But Lee just smiled at her, running towards her instead of waiting for her to get to him.

Peering over his shoulder, Seiko looked down the crowded street.

"Where's Tenten?" she asked, puzzled.

She, Lee, and Tenten were supposed to meet so they could go out to eat together as a team. After practice that morning, Tenten had suggested it. Of course, Neji had declined the offer (which, if Seiko was right in her suspicions, defeated the whole purpose for Tenten), but the rest had agreed to go.

Normally, Seiko would say no to it as well, but lately, she had found herself wanting to spend more time with Lee.

If she were honest, he was beginning to fill the hole that Sasuke had left – no, _more _than filling it. She had never felt so alive with another person.

To her, Lee was her best friend, and sometimes she caught herself wondering if she could possibly be as important to Lee as he was to her.

"Oh!" Lee replied to Seiko's question, snapping to attention, "Tenten got called in for a special mission. They put her on another team who requires her skill for today. It's going to be just the two of us."

Seiko squeezed her eyes shut and tried hard to keep those words from fully registering inside her head or her face would turn pink at the very thought. She hadn't been alone with Lee since the incident with Sasuke.

"Oh," she said, perhaps a little too quickly, shrugging, turning her head away from him so he wouldn't see the reddish tinge in her cheeks.

It was uncomfortably quiet (or Seiko sure thought so) for a while, but Lee just smiled contentedly as Seiko stared silently at the ground.

Then:

"...Are we going or what?" Seiko asked irritably, annoyed by the look of positive radiance on his face.

It was making her nervous.

"Okay!" Lee grinned. He grabbed her hand suddenly, smiling at her, and turned down the street in the direction of Icharuka's Ramen Bar.

Seiko gasped lightly, staring down at their now-clasped hands. Lee had never done that before.

Seiko flushed again, biting her lip.

His hand felt warm in hers and, surprisingly enough, completely natural.

But she was supposed to be the tough girl. What if someone saw?

Seiko contemplated yanking her hand away for a moment, but she couldn't bear to hurt Lee's feelings. It was exhausting now, trying to do everything in her power not to make fun of him. Seiko wasn't used to worrying so much about making someone else happy.

So Seiko just sighed instead, letting Lee hold her hand. She decided it wasn't that big of a deal, and truth be told, she was enjoying herself.

And besides, she would make any who made a remark about it regret opening their mouth.

Eventually, they made it to Icharuka's Ramen and sat next to each other at the stools. No other customer was there – again it was just the two of them.

After they had both ordered, Lee set to eating his food with gusto. He was extremely hungry after training all morning because, of course, he had trained a lot longer than the others.

Seiko just picked up her chopsticks and poked at her ramen dully for a while, her mind drifting elsewhere. In truth, there was something she wanted to say to Lee, but she wasn't sure how to bring it up...or if she could bring it up, for that matter.

Lee happened to glance over at her, swallowing abruptly at the look on her face. She looked kind of down on herself.

Food forgotten, Lee instantly pushed his ramen to the side and set his chopsticks down.

"Seiko?" he asked, turning to her with a confused expression, "Is something wrong?"

Seiko jumped out of her thoughts abruptly, suddenly aware of Lee watching her with that damned concerned look again. It made her feel worse than she did already. She knew she didn't deserve it from him.

She was just starting to realize how very mean she had been to him all these years. Why had he ever put up with her?

Seiko even felt as though she were worse than Sasuke. Though, of course, Lee would instantly deny it, she thought surely he must think it so, too, deep down.

"No," Seiko replied quietly, "I'm fine…Please, don't worry about me, Lee."

Lee frowned now, looking incredibly serious all of a sudden.

If something was troubling Seiko, he would go to the ends of the earth to fix it, but it was frustrating because he knew in his heart of hearts, she would never let him know if that were the case.

He opened his mouth to say something, hoping to drag the truth from out of her, but Seiko continued before he could say a word.

"Lee..." she started hesitantly, looking away from him. She stared at her fingers determinedly, refusing to glance his way.

Lee had never heard her say his name like that before. She had said his name in a lot of ways over the course of the past year. Sometimes, she sounded irritated. Sometimes, she chided him. She taunted him. She mocked, teased, and scolded him. But for once, she didn't sound as if she were picking on him.

She sounded as if she were about to pick on herself.

"...I'm sorry," she whispered finally, blushing furiously.

Seiko had rehearsed this moment for a long time, practicing exactly what she would say when the time arrived, and this wasn't at all how she had meant it to be.

She had told herself that she would be strong and say it with confidence – that she would look Lee right in the eyes, and let him know that she truly meant it.

But...she felt so vulnerable – so stupid. Her voice was barely even a whisper. She wondered if Lee could even hear it.

She just felt so ashamed of herself.

"Seiko..." Lee began in a soft voice, frowning, but Seiko cut him off.

"I'm sorry for talking to you the way I do – for the things I've said," she continued, getting more and more agitated as she twiddled her fingers, "I-I'm not making excuses for anything, but...I…I promise I don't really mean them. I mean, at least, not completely. I don't mean them in...in a mean way...I just-"

She broke off abruptly, slipping off the stool as if she were about to leave. Her face was bright red, and she felt as if she might cry suddenly.

It exasperated her, because she had no idea why.

But that's when she felt Lee's warm hand close around hers firmly. He squeezed her fingers gently, trying to get her to turn around and look at him.

When she didn't respond, he lifted his other hand up and placed it on her cheek, guiding her face to his.

Seiko's breath caught in her throat, and her stomach erupted with butterflies. Her skin burned where his hand rested.

Seiko didn't know what to call this. Lately, she had caught herself feeling a sort of longing when she was around him. She didn't know what she wanted exactly, but...she wanted it so bad.

And at that moment, with Lee's hand on her cheek, she wished that the rest of the world – Sasuke, the Hyuuga clan, even the whole of Konoha – could just disappear, and that it could just be her and Lee.

Suddenly, Seiko pulled her hand away from Lee's, and his other hand slid off of her cheek.

Lee just smiled gently, no trace of hurt on his face. This kind of reaction was only to be expected from Seiko.

He knew she didn't become close with people so easily. He couldn't possibly expect anything more from her.

"Seiko, I know you don't mean it," he said easily, shrugging as if there was nothing to apologize for, "You don't have to worry about it…In fact, I don't want you to worry about it."

Seiko stared at Lee for long time, knowing she should react to this somehow, but completely at a loss as to how to do so.

But she smiled before she could stop herself – a genuine, happy smile.

Lee had never seen a smile like that from her, and certainly not one that came so easily. It made him feel warm, like Seiko was his own personal sun, shining down upon him.

Fondly, he wondered how red she would turn if he told her so.

But Seiko turned back to her ramen abruptly, sitting once again as she escaped the odd look on Lee's face.

She wondered, almost longingly, about what he was thinking. She caught herself doing that a lot lately. Maybe…he was thinking about her.

She liked the idea.

Lee, too, turned back to his ramen and finished long before Seiko did, but he waited for her patiently, chattering away with her about anything that came to his mind – anything to distract her from the guilt she was feeling.

If he only she had said something sooner so that he could have made her feel better. He hated the idea of her suffering, all alone, when he could have been doing something about it. If only she were more open with him…

When Seiko finished, Lee leapt up, offering to walk her home.

"I can make it to my house by myself, Lee, "she muttered, embarrassed, trying to cover up for being so open with him earlier.

Lee just shrugged, smiling cheerfully.

"My house is in the same direction."

Normally, if anyone was headed in the same direction as him, he would challenge them in a race. That was how Gai-sensei would do it after all: better yourself in every way possible, and never refuse a challenge.

A certain epic rock-paper-scissors match between Gai and Sasuke's instructor, Kakashi, came to mind.

But this was one of the things that made Lee and Seiko's relationship so different. Even though Seiko often patronized him, Lee never felt as if he had to prove himself to her.

When finally they got to Seiko's house, Lee walked her right up to the door, ever the polite one.

Seiko found it embarrassing, funny, but also a little flattering.

She reached out to open the door, but someone from the inside beat her to it, sliding the door open and revealing a startled Neji.

"Oh. Seiko," he began shortly, blinking. Then he spotted Lee and raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"Lee?" he asked, the tell-tale smirk, reserved only for his teammate, curling the corners of his mouth, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh! Um...I just thought I'd walk Seiko home," Lee explained quickly, rubbing the back of his head, "You know...since it's on the way."

The truth was, Lee was a bit nervous about how Neji would react if he found out that he was in love with his little sister.

Neji narrowed his eyes at Lee suddenly, a frown on his face. Crossing his bandaged arms in front of him, he stared hard at Lee with his piercing lavender eyes.

"But your house is on the other side of town," he stated suspiciously, eyes fixed shrewdly on the slightly flustered Genin.

Seiko looked from Lee to Neji curiously.

"What?" she demanded, glancing back and forth between the two of them.

"Ah! I almost forgot! I have to go meet Guy for more training!" Lee exclaimed, clumsily evading the question before shouting out a few hurried goodbyes, "Bye, Seiko! Neji! See you at practice tomorrow!"

Turning around, Lee headed down the path as quickly as he could without looking suspicious, while Neji gazed after him with narrowed eyes. He turned back into the house, shaking his head. He had forgotten completely why he had wanted to go outside in the first place.

But Seiko turned back to look at Lee before following after him, a smile on her face.

"Lee!" she called suddenly, stopping the boy in his tracks. He slid to a stop, turning back in an instant.

He would never leave as long as Seiko called him back.

Lee glanced at her questioningly, and she hesitated, opening and closing her mouth as if she were trying to find the right words. Eventually, she settled on one.

"Thanks."

The sound of the door shutting followed shortly afterwards with a loud and abrupt slam, hiding a furiously blushing Hyuuga girl.

* * *

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the Naruto characters like Sasuke, Neji, or Lee. **

**Thanks for reading! Please review! **


	5. The Ninja of the Sand

**Author's Note:**

**Next chapter up! Enjoy! **

* * *

Seiko looked for Lee for days. Ten to be exact.

Spending all of the time the main Hyuuga family granted her, Seiko combed the streets of Konoha, desperate to find the boy who had so abruptly changed her life.

Lee...

It pained her to admit it, but she knew it was because he was avoiding her.

Sakura, that pink-haired girl who Lee had asked to be his girlfriend earlier on in the Chuunin exams – the exams that were still on-going – had been to see him, she knew. She had even brought him flowers, Ino told her the other night.

So how was it that every time she showed up at the hospital, they told her visiting hours were over? Because Lee was too kind to let them tell her it was because he didn't want to see her, her least of all?

Damn him, Seiko thought furiously, racing through an alleyway for what felt like the hundredth time. That boy had the worst timing in the world.

Of all the times he could have chosen to start hiding from her – all the times he could have given up on her and let her slip through his carefully bandaged fingers – he chose this one.

Now that Seiko knew she loved him.

It had taken forever for her to figure it out, but now she knew, knew without a doubt in her heart of hearts.

She had known it ever since that day during the first round of the Chuunin exam duels – the day that had changed the lives of her and her teammates forever.

Seiko hated that it had taken something so horrible to show her how she truly felt.

If she had only figured it out sooner, maybe Lee wouldn't be avoiding her like this, and maybe they could have spent some of the happier times together, if he even wanted to spend them with her.

Seiko knew that it would forever be the single most horrific experience of her life.

* * *

Seiko stood, clenching the rails along the top of the arena of the Chuunin exams so hard that her knuckles were turning white.

This wasn't good.

Stupid, Seiko thought, Stupid, stupid boy!

He had been practically giddy when his name was finally called – ecstatic to be facing the red-headed ninja from the faraway land of the desert. Of all the people he could have been paired with…

It had seemed like Lee had the upper hand for a while, but now, things were going very, very badly.

Seiko bit her lip as the two fought on, so hard that she drew blood. Even Neji was worried, a frown creasing the space around his lavender eyes.

That's when it happened.

Seiko heard Lee let out a terribly cry as the sand crushed his leg – a sound she would not soon forget, no matter how hard she tried. She saw his eyes squeeze shut as he tried to bear it and saw him fall to the floor when he couldn't.

Seiko abruptly froze, breath catching in her throat. Neji had never seen a person so stunned – so very still.

"Seiko?"

Seiko felt Neji's hands come down on her shoulders – could hear the worry in his voice – but all she cared about, all she could see in her mind's eye, was Lee.

"Lee!" the name fell from her lips before she could stop herself, "Lee!"

She leaned dangerously over the guard rail, drawn to the boy like a magnet.

She called his name, as if, somehow, it were helping him...because she didn't know what else to do. So many times in her life, Seiko had felt helpless…but never as helpless as she felt now, watching the boy she loved lying, unmoving, on a cold, stone floor as even colder eyes stared down at him, closing in for the kill.

Seiko watched as the sand ninja took a step towards him, preparing to crush the rest of him with his sand, and, at that moment, Seiko felt what could only be described as indescribable terror.

The thought of losing Lee terrified her.

"No!" Seiko shouted desperately, stainless white eyes wide with horror, "No! No, no, no, no!"

She began to climb over the flimsy railing, prepared to do anything in her power to come between the sand ninja and Lee, but Neji's arms shot out, wrapping around Seiko as he pulled her back firmly.

"Seiko!" he exclaimed, horrified, "No! You can't interfere!"

Seiko struggled fiercely against her brother, vicious as a wildcat, but of course, the elder Hyuuga was stronger. He tightened his grip on his little sister, refusing to let her go.

"He'll kill you," he tried to reason with her desperately, dodging her scrawny elbows as they flailed wildly in all directions, "He'll kill you both."

Wriggling with all her might, Seiko became slippery in her brother's grasp despite his best efforts. She turned back to him, staring him in the eye solemnly, byakugan to byakugan.

"Sorry, Neji."

And the Hyuuga boy reeled back suddenly as Seiko's fist collided with his mouth, spilling more blood on an already-bloody day. Neji gasped as he hit the wall, clutching his hand to his face and watching with a shocked expression as Seiko vaulted over the railing.

"Seiko!" he shouted, jumping up. His arms shot out, but he just missed the girl as she slipped past the bars, her coal black hair, trailing behind her.

'Sorry, Neji.'

Neji prayed she had been talking about his newly-destroyed mouth and not the inevitable outcome of interfering with the ninja of the sand.

Seiko was vaguely aware of Neji's voice, calling her name as she ran towards Lee, as well as another's – Sasuke.

Pulling out a kunai, Seiko didn't even blink. There was no way she was going to let Lee die.

She would die first.

Everything she loved about Lee danced across her mind...his smile...his laugh…even those God-awful eyebrows of his. And that's when she knew, as she stared down the hostile, pale, blue eyes of the sand ninja – she loved him.

Sliding to a stop in front of Lee, Seiko's sandals skidded against the stone floor. She brandished the kunai in front of her, a fierce look in her snowy eyes that was reflected in the cold steel of the blade.

But the sand ninja didn't even hesitate. The sand continued towards them, whispering like a nameless curse as it began to creep around the Hyuuga girl. It was as if the red head hadn't even noticed there was someone else now standing in his path of destruction.

"…Seiko?" she heard Lee whisper weakly, voice heavy with what she hoped wasn't blood.

Seiko stood completely still, refusing to look at him.

She couldn't. She couldn't look at him and lose her focus, because if she did, surely she would become undone.

Instead, she focused on the sand, flying towards them like a swarm of angry, malignant bees. Seiko stiffened, ready for the sting when a blur of green interrupted, colliding with the little grains and scattering them in all directions.

The next thing Seiko knew, Guy-sensei was in front of her and Lee, standing tall and fierce.

Seiko's ears rung as if the sand had invaded them, though her eyes told her it had returned to the boy, lying around his sandals like new-fallen, red-stained snow.

She knew that her sensei was saying something to the boy, but heard none of it, instead staring at the boy dumbly, eyes clouded with red rage.

Many would say that it was over – the fighting had stopped, but seeing the angle of Lee's leg out of the corner of her eye, she knew it was far – far – from over.

Seiko knelt next to him, feeling tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Lee," she whispered, but he was no longer conscious. Seiko stared at his lips as if her name still clung to them, willing it to fall from them again.

Trembling, she stretched her hands out as if she were going to touch him, but she recoiled at the last moment, afraid.

There was nothing she could do – nothing.

And it was this feeling of helplessness that reduced the girl to tears as she knelt beside the boy she loved so much – unable to comfort him even with something as simple as a touch.

She didn't know how much time passed like this, but eventually Gai-sensei stepped up beside her (or perhaps he had been there the whole time), looking down at Lee. She felt his hand on her shoulder as he talked with a medical ninja about what would be done with his broken student.

Seiko was barely even aware when Neji gently helped her up and led her away, glaring at a certain Uchiha boy when he attempted to say something. When Seiko's eyes went right through him – even without her byakugan – Sasuke quietly stepped back into the shadows, yet again shrugging his old friend's well-being to fate.

But his red eyes followed her all the way out of the arena.

* * *

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own the Naruto characters, including Gai, Lee, Sasuke, and Neji. **

**Thanks again for reading! You guys are awesome! Please review if you get the chance!**


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